﻿616 
  the 
  omaha 
  tribe 
  [eth. 
  ann. 
  27 
  

  

  Introduction 
  of 
  Cloth 
  

  

  The 
  heavy 
  woolen 
  cloth 
  called 
  strouding 
  was 
  probably 
  introduced 
  

   l>y 
  the 
  English 
  traders 
  during 
  the 
  latter 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  eighteenth 
  cen- 
  

   tury. 
  In 
  the 
  middle 
  of 
  the 
  last 
  century 
  it 
  cost 
  the 
  Omaha 
  from 
  

   four 
  to 
  six 
  dollars 
  per 
  yard. 
  Broadcloth 
  cost 
  from 
  eight 
  to 
  twelve 
  

   dollars 
  per 
  yard. 
  When 
  the 
  Omaha 
  first 
  saw 
  strouding 
  he 
  had 
  no 
  

   idea 
  of 
  cloth, 
  so 
  when 
  it 
  was 
  spread 
  before 
  him 
  he 
  gave 
  to 
  it 
  the 
  

   name 
  of 
  the 
  largest 
  stretch 
  of 
  a 
  given 
  surface 
  for 
  clothing 
  with 
  

   which 
  he 
  was 
  acquainted, 
  the 
  skin 
  robe, 
  calling 
  this 
  cloth 
  wai 
  n 
  ', 
  

   "robe." 
  When, 
  however, 
  he 
  wished 
  to 
  speak 
  of 
  cloth 
  he 
  added 
  the 
  

   word 
  denoting 
  the 
  color; 
  thus, 
  wai 
  n 
  'tu, 
  "blue 
  cloth," 
  or 
  ivai 
  n 
  'zhide, 
  

   "red 
  cloth," 
  while 
  the 
  simple 
  word 
  wai 
  n 
  ' 
  still 
  designated 
  the 
  skin 
  

   robe. 
  Broadcloth 
  was 
  called 
  wai 
  n 
  ' 
  sknalia 
  (wai 
  n 
  ', 
  "robe;" 
  slmnJin, 
  

   "smooth,") 
  because 
  of 
  the 
  difference 
  between 
  its 
  surface 
  and 
  that 
  of 
  

   strouding. 
  

  

  Strouding 
  was 
  used 
  by 
  the 
  men 
  for 
  leggings, 
  breechcloths, 
  and 
  

   sometimes 
  for 
  robes. 
  Women 
  made 
  of 
  it 
  skirts, 
  sacks, 
  and 
  leggings 
  

   extending 
  only 
  to 
  the 
  knees. 
  Broadcloth 
  was 
  not 
  employed 
  by 
  

   the 
  men; 
  this 
  material 
  was 
  bought 
  by 
  the 
  richer 
  members 
  of 
  the 
  tribe 
  

   for 
  women's 
  skirts 
  and 
  leggings. 
  Sometimes 
  a 
  woman 
  possessed 
  a 
  

   robe 
  made 
  of 
  broadcloth. 
  With 
  the 
  introduction 
  of 
  strouding 
  and 
  

   broadcloth 
  needles 
  and 
  thread 
  became 
  known. 
  Needles 
  were 
  called 
  

   wa'lcu2h,i 
  n 
  gau'ude 
  (walcu, 
  "awl;" 
  zhi 
  n 
  'ga, 
  "little;" 
  u'de, 
  "with 
  a 
  hole"). 
  

   Thread 
  was 
  named 
  iniJai"', 
  meaning 
  " 
  something 
  spun." 
  Pins 
  were 
  

   not 
  known 
  until 
  well 
  into 
  the 
  last 
  century. 
  It 
  was 
  about 
  the 
  middle 
  

   of 
  the 
  nineteenth 
  century 
  when 
  calico 
  was 
  introduced 
  by 
  American 
  

   traders; 
  owing 
  to 
  its 
  cheapness, 
  it 
  speedily 
  became 
  the 
  material 
  

   commonly 
  used 
  by 
  the 
  people. 
  It 
  was 
  called 
  wa.ri"ha, 
  "thin 
  skin." 
  

   The 
  commercial 
  value 
  attached 
  to 
  dressed 
  skins 
  made 
  them 
  too 
  

   valuable 
  for 
  common 
  wear, 
  a 
  fact 
  which 
  aided 
  in 
  promoting 
  the 
  sub- 
  

   stitution 
  of 
  strouding 
  for 
  clothing 
  ; 
  later, 
  the 
  high 
  price 
  of 
  the 
  stroud- 
  

   ing 
  increased 
  the 
  sale 
  of 
  calico. 
  

  

  Steel 
  traps, 
  used 
  to 
  facilitate 
  the 
  catching 
  of 
  beavers, 
  were 
  early 
  

   introduced 
  by 
  the 
  traders; 
  these 
  were 
  called 
  mo 
  n 
  'pe, 
  "metal." 
  The 
  

   unqualified 
  word 
  mo 
  n 
  'pt 
  came 
  to 
  signify 
  "trap," 
  and 
  the 
  act 
  of 
  trap- 
  

   ping 
  was 
  called 
  mo 
  n 
  ' 
  peuzM, 
  "to 
  put 
  or 
  place 
  in 
  metal." 
  The 
  principal 
  

   furs 
  supplied 
  by 
  the 
  Omaha 
  were 
  buffalo, 
  bear, 
  beaver, 
  mink, 
  rac- 
  

   coon, 
  and 
  deer 
  skins. 
  The 
  people 
  were 
  good 
  hunters 
  and 
  trappers 
  

   and 
  were 
  regarded 
  as 
  a 
  desirable 
  tribe 
  to 
  deal 
  with. 
  Canvas 
  as 
  a 
  

   substitute 
  for 
  the 
  buffalo-skin 
  tent 
  cover 
  became 
  common 
  about 
  the 
  

   middle 
  of 
  the 
  last 
  century 
  ami 
  took 
  the 
  old 
  name 
  of 
  the 
  tent 
  cover, 
  

   ti'Jia, 
  "tent 
  skin." 
  

  

  